


Quaranteens

by hatchetfield_bee



Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid, The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Not Canon Compliant, SO, also finding nemo slaps, also in this hidgens isn’t a total asshole, but nothing graphic, ethan and hidgens are related don’t @ me, i am bored and sorry, instead of 2018 it’s happening right now bb, it’s cute and then it gets a lil angsty and then back to cute, theres mentions of abuse and shitty parents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:34:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24644149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hatchetfield_bee/pseuds/hatchetfield_bee
Summary: Lex and Hannah are stuck in Hidgens’ bunker with Lex’s “friend” until the stay at home order is lifted.oh no ! what shenanigans will they get into ?
Relationships: Ethan Green & Hannah Foster, Ethan Green & Henry Hidgens, Hannah Foster & Lex Foster, Lex Foster/Ethan Green
Comments: 12
Kudos: 48





	1. quarantine? more like spending time with your bestie (with benefits)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey ! i hope you enjoy this! sit back, relax and stay hydrated y’all!  
> i wrote this as a little one shot but then it got out of hand and became a 5000 word story so here we go!  
> i cannot think of titles for the life of me ajsjs

They were 17 and living together until further notice. Lex was planning to go back to the trailer within the next few days, but then the virus happened. The schools shut down that Friday and soon enough the stay at home order was enforced.

Once the school was called out, that afternoon when Lex, Ethan, and Hannah got back to his Uncle's house, he was ordering them all back into the bunker. Lex was panicked which made Hannah panic, but Ethan grabbed their hands, “It’s fine. He does this whenever there’s a bad flu season. He just likes to be safe and all,” This seemed to calm them down, at least a little because Hannah’s grip on his hand loosened and Lex intertwined their fingers like usual. 

Their relationship was complicated. They weren’t quite dating, because she didn’t want to get too serious, but they spent most of their time together. And they slept in the same bed when she was at his uncles, which was nice. He just wanted to be more, he really  _ really _ liked her, but the last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable when they had to stay together in a fucking bunker for god knows how long.

When they walked into the bunker the air smelt like lavender and there were masks and gloves in a little box which Hidgens went on a long lecture about. Ethan was more focused on trying to make Lex laugh by poking her side. She looked at him, covering her mouth so Hidgens wouldn’t hear, “Can you fucking quit it?” He just furrowed his eyebrows as if he had no clue what she was talking about.

She elbowed him in the stomach and he coughed to cover it, apparently too loud because his uncle snapped in his face, “Hey, lovebirds. We’re in a global pandemic, not the time to flirt.” She glared daggers at him, her face flushed while Ethan chuckled and waved him on to continue, still leaning over slightly. He explained the house rules, (Change your clothes after you leave, wash your hands for 20 seconds at least, leave your masks next to the bin after you wear them so they can be washed, e.t.c). “We’ve got 4 bedrooms, so I’m assuming the happy couple is in one, Banana in another, and then Ollie and I in the other two?” Lex rolled her eyes and Ethan laughed again. He liked that he was comfortable enough to joke around with her and that she was comfortable enough with him to not be so defensive or fake laugh anymore.

She leaned around him to look at her sister who beamed, she really liked having her own room. Although sometimes she’d run into his room and worm in between the two and they’d stay like that until she fell asleep.

Henry sent them all off to get settled and Hannah fell asleep while she was “testing the bed”. The other two were talking while he put his clothes into drawers. “Shit.” She fell back onto the bed, with her “older than God himself” phone next to her.

“What’s up buttercup?” She tilted her head up to look at him and he smiled sheepishly before sitting down on the bed next to her, “Sorry. What’s wrong?”

“Frank said that we can’t go to work until further notice. So basically I’m laid off just without unemployment.”

He combed his fingers through her hair and she leaned into his hand, “I’m sorry. That sucks, but at least you don’t got nothing to pay for so it’s not like the end of the world, ya know?”

“Yeah, I've just been trying to pay your uncle back for rent and utilities and shit, and now I can’t do it until I’m back at work.” Ethan laughed and she smacked his thigh, “What the fucks no funny about me being broke?”

He put his hand on top of hers, “No, it’s not that. When are you gonna give it up? He’s not gonna take your money babe, he barely lets me pay him back for gas.”

Lex groaned and fell even deeper into the mattress, he joined her and fell back onto the mattress which made her laugh. They talked like that for a little while until she pulled him in for a kiss. It was very different, it was a quick, innocent kiss, quite the contrast from their usual kisses, which were needy and usually followed by roaming hands. He smiled at her, rubbing her cheek with his thumb after they broke apart, “What?” He furrowed his eyebrows at her, “You’re looking at me funny,”

“Oh sorry,” She looked at him for an explanation, “You just have something on your lip,”

She wiped her bottom lip a few times, “Did I get it?”

He shook his head, a smile present on his face, “Nah. Just- Here, let me get it.” He pulled her in for another kiss. She laughed into it, saying “dork”, but it came out muffled by their lips. 

Later that week, Oliver was in his room, playing some dumb video game that Ethan was trying to distract him from. “Ollie! Dude, there’s a fuckin rat in here!”

He whipped his head around and died in his game, “I hate you.” Although Oliver was only 3 years younger, Ethan’s favorite past-time was to annoy him. It was usually just at home. The younger of the two didn’t want him to interact with each other at school. He claimed that Ethan would “cramp his style”, to which he snorted and replied ‘What style?’. He groaned as the console’s screen faded to black, “Go hang out with your girlfriend or something. Don’t you have like 9 years of homework to catch up on?”

“1. She’s not my girlfriend. 2. School’s out, kiddo! I’m a free bird.” He cawed like an eagle, but Oliver turned around stone-faced, “Gee, rough crowd,”

“Just ask her out already, how hard is it? Also, I’d hate to be the one to break it to you, but school is back in approximately 2 weeks. It’s literally the perfect time to catch up. If you fail another class they’ll probably hold you back this time.”

Ethan scoffed, “‘How hard is it?’” He repeated in a mocking voice, “Tell that to Grace Chastity, Ollie. Yeah, that’s right, shut up. Thank the lord I have a sweet, lovely, nerdy cousin to help me out with that, right? Because I doubt you’d want me even closer to you next year.”

He groaned, “Don't bring Grace into this. The difference is Grace and I aren’t… you know. Isn’t that supposed to mean something? You sure look at her like it does. I mean, Jesus-“

“You’re on thin ice, kid. Say another word and I'll tape your mouth, again,” 

Oliver put his hands up in defense, “I’m just saying! Anyways, I will  _ help _ you with some of your work. I’m not doing it for you this time. I’m barely keeping my own GPA up, I can’t carry yours on my back too,”

Ethan ruffled up his hair, “I’m not asking you to carry shit, we both know you ain’t got the upper body strength for that.” Oliver slapped his hands away, “I just need a little help on the reading stuff. You know, I’m not too good at that stuff.”

“I’ll help you out, but can you please get out of my room? I’m trying to get on the leaderboards,” Ethan gave a two-fingered salute before marching out of the room and sitting on a kitchen stool instead. He found his uncle watching the news, “Hey, Hen. How’s everything goin’”

He didn’t even look up, his eyes were glued to the number of cases going up on the news screen, “Well, besides the global pandemic, it’s going pretty nicely.” He sighed before walking to stand behind the counter across from Ethan, “Lex and Hannah are adjusting well, yes?” 

He nodded, grabbing an apple and rubbing it against his jacket to shine it, “Yeah. Hannah really likes the bed in her room and she has webby, so I doubt she even knows what’s going on right now.”

Henry took the apple out of his hand before washing it thoroughly, “The virus can stay on surfaces upwards of days on uncooked foods. Also, your jacket isn’t clean itself,” He handed him the apple back, “But that’s great! You guys are settled nicely in your room too?” Ethan nodded again before taking a bite of his apple. 

They sat in a sort of uncomfortable silence for a moment, “Can I ask you a question? You’re totally free not to answer, it’s about relationships and shit.” He was waved on to continue. Ethan’s voice was lowered to a whisper, “Okay, I sort of have a thing for Lex, but she for sure doesn’t feel the same way.”

He was basically interrupted by Henry saying, “Yeah, I could tell. But, you know that for a fact, as in it was explicitly stated to you by her,” His tone was more questioning than a response.

“It wasn’t complicitly stated or whatever, but she said that she didn’t want to get too deep right now. And also now would be a shitty time to tell her this, but I’m not sure if I can hide it any longer, you know?”

His uncle hummed in response, “I’d say that, if you’re comfortable with it, maybe you should ask her one more. About how she feels and her stance of furthering your relationship,” 

Ethan nodded and stuck his hand out for a high-five which Henry rolled his eyes before returning, “Okay, I think that might work. I’ll try it tonight after dinner to see where she’s at.” He hopped off the stool and started to walk away before calling out, “Thanks, Uncle Hen! I owe you,” Soon enough the door was slammed behind him and he was spinning too fast in a desk chair. 

He tried to do some of his work from the previous weeks, texting Oliver to help him with specific math problems. He got through about 7 problems before Lex came in and stood over him, “Watcha doin’?” Her hands almost immediately started combing through his hair.

“Ollie convinced me to try and catch up. It’s hell.” 

She hummed in response, her hands still weaving through his curls, “Well, at least you’re doing it now. I don’t really wanna go into senior year without you.” He spun around and smiled cockily. She rolled her eyes, “Fuck off. You know, I really like being taller than you. It makes me feel powerful.”

He laughed as he swiveled back around, “You’re barely taller than me, even when I'm sitting down,”

“It’s not my fault you’re a fucking giant. I wish I was tall,” She over exaggeratedly sighed as she fell back onto the bed.

He stood up and patted her leg, “Babe, you don’t understand- with great power comes great responsibility,”

She shot up on the bed, “Don’t fucking quote spider-man at me. You have zero responsibility. Just finding shoes to fit your fucking clown feet,”

He flipped her off as she laughed, “Oh I have plenty of responsibility. I can’t think of one right now, but they’re there, I promise.”

Lex laughed and pulled him down to her level by his collar. He could feel her breath on his lips when his phone chimed, gesturing that Hidgens texted them for dinner. He looked down at her with a smile, “Later?”

She let go of his collar and pushed his chest, “Maybe,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!! talk to me on tumblr, lex-foster-child!! i hope you liked it! kudos and comments are v appreciated


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! Thanks for clickin’ the little ’next chapter’ button! I wrote an entire chapter and then said ”fuck it” and deleted it, writing this instead so here she is!  
> P.S. I didn't edit this chapter so if you see any mistakes please call me out and ridicule me, I deserve it.

The dinner went by smoothly. It was pasta, one of Hannah’s least favorites so instead of sauce for her, he put butter on the noodles instead. “Hey, ‘Nana,” She looked up to meet Oliver’s eyes, “Wanna try again at checkers after dinner?”

She grinned and looked at Lex for approval before nodding and going back to her noodles. Lex has told her that she didn’t need to ask her for permission for little things. Especially things she knew she’d say yes to. She still did anyways, she wanted to know that Lex was happy with her choice. She wanted to make her happy more than anything. She knew Ethan would protect them both, everything felt perfect for Hannah. Kind of like she had a real family.

When she was in school she had a lot of incomplete projects on the aspects of family and she noticed that hers was different from a lot of the other kids. Most kids had two parents and a house. Sometimes they had siblings but none of them had the same relationship as she did with Lex. She accepted that her family was different from others quickly, after all, it was all she knew, but others accepting it was more of the problem. Some kids would say that she was dropped as a baby and that’s why she was so messed up. Parents would talk around about her mother and how they don’t want Hannah to associate with their kids. More often than not Lex would have to pick her up early from school and yell at the principal. They were less than sensitive to Hannahs's trouble at school. Rather when kids were picking on her and she got overwhelmed Hannah would be the one in trouble. 

Whenever she had to leave early, Ethan would drive them both in the car. They'd go back to his house before he lived at the bunker and they'd watch a Disney movie before Hannah inevitably fell asleep.

~

Ethan chickened out instead of telling Lex. He felt bad just springing it on her, especially when she already seemed so stressed. The remainder of the year was gonna be online and if there was one thing she hated it was being forced to talk to teachers out of school. Once she saw her science teacher at Toy Zone and immediately took her smoke break before he could talk to her. 

Also, Lex didn't have a computer, which would show itself to be another downside of online school. She was currently trying to figure out how to set up the computer Hidgens let her use. He took his work computer with him when he left the school, so he let them use his personal one. Ethan was doing his best to help, but he also had no idea what he was doing. ”Did you try that button?”

”Yeah, E. I've tried every fucking button.”

”Maybe it's just frozen, ” Lex groaned and leaned her head on the keyboard. ”Should I get Ollie? He knows shit about computers.” 

”Yeah, probably. Do you think he'd be mad?” 

”Maybe annoyed at me, but not at you. The kid loves you, ” 

Lex laughed, sitting up in the desk chair, ”That's an overstatement. He's a good kid, better than you at least, ” 

He shoved her shoulder lightly, ”Asshole, ” She smiled, ”I'll go get him, don't die from boredom while I'm gone.”

She flipped him off as Ethan quickly left the room and promptly came back with an annoyed Oliver at his side. Though his demeanor changed when he saw Lex at the computer. She smiled at him and he did the same. She slowly moved from the chair to the bed so Oliver could sit down ”What’s the problem, Lex?”

”Nothings workin’. Every time I try and do something it makes this annoying ass sound. If I hear it one more time I swear I'll go fucking insane.” She gestured angrily at the computer. He nodded and clicked a few buttons, and suddenly the sound was gone. ”What the fuck, Ollie, How'd you do that? You're like a wizard,”

Oliver laughed when she jumped up and looked over his shoulder, ”You didn't drag the starter file into the little file thingy when you signed in, so it was telling you to. Tell me if you need anything, alright? ” He swiveled out of the chair and Lex ruffled up his hair, which made him break out into a smile.

”Thanks, I owe you, ” With that, Oliver left and Lex was back in the desk chair, facing Ethan while they talked.

”You coddle him, ” She raised an eyebrow as he spoke, ”It's true! He clicks a few buttons and you bow at his feet.”

”I don't coddle him. I'd thank you too if you could figure it out, ” She kicked his leg lightly and he over dramatically held his ankle.”Is Hannah still in there?”

”Probably not, she was half asleep at the checkerboard when I went in,” Lex finally shut the computer and sat next to him, leaning her head into the crook of his neck as he spoke. He chuckled and moved a strand of her hair out of her face, “You tired?”

”A little. It's been a weirdly long day, ”She sat up a little more, still leaning into him, ”Plus, we start tomorrow, which fuckin’ sucks. When's your first class?” 

He thought for a moment, ”I think mine’s at like 9:20, maybe?” 

She scoffed lightly, ”Oh, fuck you, mines at 8:30. That's bullshit.” She yawned and when she opened her eyes she found Ethan smiling at her.

”Go to sleep, dumbass, ” She rolled her eyes and insisted she was fine, despite the fact that she could barely see on a count of her eyelids drooping. ”God, you're stubborn. Fine, I'm gonna go talk to Uncle Hen for a bit and you better be counting fucking sheep by the time I'm back.”

”Jesus, that was aggressive. I'm just gonna go make sure Hannah’s asleep. Well- As long as that's okay with you, my lord.” Lex looked up at him and fluttered her eyelashes before laughing.

”Shut up.” Her laugh spread to Ethan quickly, ”I'm gonna come too if that's cool with you, obviously.”

”Yeah, why the fuck would I care? Plus, she likes it better when you scare away the ’monsters’.”

”Well, duh. You suck at it.” She shoved him into the doorway as they left and entered Hannah's room. 

She was dead asleep as Ethan predicted. She didn't even stir when he accidentally shot the door too hard behind him after he said goodnight. Before he stepped into the living room, he looked at Lex pointedly and said ”Sheep.” Which made her laugh again. That was why he did a lot of what he did, to hear her laugh, or to see her smile. Just to make her happy, pretty much.

~

Ethan and his uncle didn't talk too much, they usually just sat together in comfortable silence. They were close, just different. They had different ways of seeing things, while Henry seemed to fear most, he just tried his best not to care. Ethan never really talked much, at least not about the things that mattered. His parents came home late and left for work after he had to leave for school so he never really had any serious parental talks. He refused to go to the school counselor, but when he was essentially forced to he just told jokes the whole time. 

He didn’t like being too serious. If he got too serious he’d start thinking, which Lex said was never good. He knew he wasn’t too smart, almost every one of his teachers could vouch for that. Well, except Mr. Houston who said that he “was smart where it mattered”. Ethan didn’t really get what it meant but thanked him anyway. Mr. Houston was the only teacher he ever actually respected. He was nice and he cared, which was already more than most the people in Hatchetfield taught him to expect. When he’d get detention with Ethan, they almost always ended early. Ethan tried harder to not get detentions after meeting Lex because she counted on him for a ride and the very last thing he’d ever want to do was to let her or Hannah down. The Fosters were probably the only reason he hadn’t retaken 9th grade. Lex would do her best to help him study and Hannah would help him with the flashcards Lex made him.

After a while of watching the news, the TV finally shut off and his uncle turned to him, “So how’d it go?”

Ethan’s eyebrows knitted together before he understood the context, “Oh, with Lex?” Henry nodded, “I didn’t ask. It wasn’t right yet.”

Hidgens mouth shaped into a small o as he crossed his legs and they sat together in another silence, this one less comfortable than the last. “Well, how would you know when it’s right?” 

Ethan shrugged, “Dude, I don’t know. Shouldn’t you know when it’s a good moment? Like, you should feel it, right?” He had never heard of or seen his uncle dating anyone, but he was a biology professor. That had to do with feelings and people, right?

“Since it’s a rather casual question, you could probably bring it up in casual conversation, but ask when you’re comfortable.” He took a sip out of a mug full of what Ethan only assumed was tea. He drank a cup of tea every night, he claimed it helped him fall asleep. “It’s past midnight and I’m starting to drop off. So, sleep well, Ethan. Stay safe,”

“Night, uncle Hen,” He always said ‘stay safe’ when he wished him a good night and Ethan never quite understood why, but he always did his best to follow his request. Being extra careful when walking back to his room. 

The lights were off so he assumed Lex was asleep until he opened the door to find her sitting in the swivel chair on her phone. When he turned on the lights he noticed her jump a little before she turned to him with a smile, “Hey, E.”

“You have classes in 7 hours dumbass,”

“I know, I don’t need a lecture. I tried, but then I got bored and started looking at pictures of cats,”

“Wait, lemme see,” For a minute they sat together, looking at obviously staged pictures of baby kittens. “Okay, well you can suffer, but I’m gonna try and sleep.” He kissed the top of her head before he walked about 9 feet to the bed.

Lex stayed in the chair for another 20 minutes. When he asked why she claimed she was trying to work on something, she wasn’t. Something she noticed was that in the hour and a half that Ethan was gone she couldn’t sleep despite being completely drained. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t fall completely asleep. Then she realized that for the past 10 years, she had never slept in a bed alone. At the trailer Hannah and she shared a bed and even when she first stayed with Hidgens, she felt bad making Ethan sleep on the floor. So, by trying to fall asleep in this uncomfortable chair, she was trying to prove her independence. It didn’t work. She caved and tried to lie down in the bed, though she kept her distance. 

Her alarm went off at 8:15 am, but it felt too early so she ignored it. Lex made the executive decision to try for the remainder of the semester. She wouldn’t try hard, just do her best to pass because she finally had the time to. 

The alarm seemed to drift into background noise as she drifted off again until she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder followed by a groan. She didn’t open her eyes to acknowledge it before she felt Ethan’s arms cross over her body and take her phone, subsequently shutting off the alarm. She didn’t even realize his arms were wrapped around her until they left and she suddenly felt colder. After the alarm shut off he pulled her closer to him and she gave a breathy laugh before tracing his arms with her fingers, “I don’t wanna get up.”

He pulled his head out of her neck for a moment, “Then don’t. Boom, problem solved.” Lex laughed and kissed his hair before pushing his arms off of her so she could stand up. The only reason she had to get up early was that in 8th grade Ethan somehow convinced her to take the Algebra placement test. She did it to show him she’d fail, but miraculously she passed. She still remembered the look on his face when she showed him the “acceptance letter”, He was more excited than she was. 

She opened one of his drawers and slipped on a sweatshirt. It was April in Michigan, so in one word she was freezing. “You realize that you have your own clothes here, right?”

“Fuck off, it’s cold. Plus, you wear like three shirts, you can bear me stealing one,” She looked over to find him smiling at her and rolled her eyes.

“You want a coffee or something?”

“Nah, I'll be fine.” She logged into the class and quickly muted herself. 

Lex’s class ended early, it was mostly just an introduction to the program and how classes would be.

She logged out as quickly as humanly possible and immediately tackled Ethan into the bed, “Hey.”

He grinned up at her, “Hi,” His hands drifted up her sides, “Maybe we could all watch a movie tonight. Like we used to, with Hannah.”

“Yeah, I’d like that,” Her phone rang and she sighed, but when she looked at the contact name she essentially jumped off of him and ran out of the room.

When she came back 20 minutes later, he could tell that she had been crying. She shut the door behind her and stared at him for a moment, 

“It was my mom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there!! I hope you liked the chapter! It took way longer than I anticipated so the next one should be out soon!! Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex and Ethan get into their first important fight (oh no)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey there! i hope you like this chapter, and i’m sorry it took me so long to write! i actually wrote two separate plots for this and it turned out this was the one i used!   
> love y’all!!

Ethan didn't know too much about Ms. Foster, Lex never really discussed her in detail. Usually, she'd just cry into his shoulder after a fight and call her a bitch, but that was enough for him to hate her too. ”Oh. What'd she want?”

“Uh. She wants me to-“ She took a second to run a hand through her hair, “She wants me to go back.”

“Well, what’re you thinkin’?”

“I don’t know. She said she was gonna call the cops if I didn’t come back with her money this weekend,” She poked at the inside of her cheek with her tongue, “And you know, I'd rather that not happen. It’s probably just better for everyone if I go back.”

“Call me selfish, but it’d suck without you here.” He tapped his finger on the bed frame, “Are you sure it’s safe?”

She shrugged, “Probably. She was just tapped out last time.” She sat back down at the desk, rubbing at her cheek with the sweatshirt sleeve, “We’ve gotta log into Mr. Mega’s.”

“Lex we should talk about this.”

“I don’t want to.”

“I gave you a fucking place to live. The least you could do is tell me why you wanna leave.” Ethan regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth.

If she was a cartoon, she’d have steam flooding out of her ears, “Oh, my deepest apologies for not bowing at your fucking feet.” His mouth opened to speak but she didn’t let him get the words out. “You know why I never told you anything at first? It’s because I didn't want you to feel bad for me. I wanted you to like me for who I am not what my mom does. I fucking trusted you to not care about that shit.

“Never once have I ever done something because I pitied you. I didn’t think it was much to expect the same courtesy, just another fucking mistake I make.”

“Lex, you’re blowing this way outta proposition.” He stood up to try and reason with her. It wasn’t the first time they’d gotten into a fight, just the first time there was anything important at stake.

“Am I? I think I’m being perfectly fucking proportionate. I mean- I thought you did shit because you cared about me not because you felt bad for me. Quick question; All those times you took Hannah and me out for dinner was it because you actually cared about us or because you felt bad for us?” She was yelling at this point. Her cheeks were bright red but he couldn't tell whether it was from the crying or the yelling.

“Can’t it be both? I don’t wanna see you faint again because I care about you.”

“You of all people should know that I can fucking handle myself. I don’t need a goddamn prince charming to save me. 

“All those times I got you shit when you were sick or suspended. It’s not ‘cause I thought ‘Oh it'd sure suck to be him let me do something’. No, it’s because I wanted to see you smile when you smile for the first time in my fucking life I feel like I might’ve done something right. Guess I was wrong about that one too.”

“Lex, don’t say that. You know I care-“

“I sure fucking thought I did, yeah.” She started to grab her clothes out from the drawers and she shrugged his arm off her shoulder. “I’m leaving. Tell your uncle I said thank you. Same to Ollie. They at least pretended that they cared, you could learn some shit from them.”

“Please don’t leave. Can we please just talk about this?”

She shook her head, “Fuck you.” she said, a plastic bag full of clothes in her hand as she walked out of the door.

~

Lex knew that she was being irrational as she walked home with Hannah at her side, but she was tired. Tired of people treating her differently just because her mom was a dick. Whether it was like Tom who tried to be a guidance figure or Frank who was just a fucking creep, she was tired of it.

She was so pissed at the moment that she didn't really think about how much she overreacted until she got home but she was too proud to go back.

Lex was greeted by her mom at the door who she brushed past until she was forced to turn around by a hand clutching her shoulder. With a quick nod, Hannah ran to their room and she was left alone trying not to shrink as the pressure on her shoulder pushed her down.

She knew her mom didn't know what a pressure point was so she wasn't too worried about that. More so about what she did know how to do, which was flailing her arms around until she hit something.

”Where’s my fucking money, kid?” Lex had no clue what money she was referring to but she knew if she said that it'd turn out worse for her.

”I swear I'll get it to you next week, mom. I just need a little more time.” She let herself relax for a moment before she braced herself for whatever she decided to do this time.

This days special was a shove to the floor which she greatly preferred to a sucker-punch to the gut, ”Whatever. Just don't you dare fucking leave this house again. Got it?” She nodded and shuffled back onto her feet as her mom left the trailer, slamming the door behind her.

Lex knocked on the door in Hannah’s special pattern so she knew it was her. She heard small footsteps running to the bedroom door and soon Hannah swung it open and looked up at her with teary eyes, “Gone?” Lex nodded and opened her arms up for a hug which was quickly reciprocated. They stayed in the doorway, holding each other for a few minutes until Hannah let go and wiped her tears on the sweatshirt Lex was wearing. “Ethan?”

She combed her fingers through her hair, “We’re not gonna stay with Mr. Hidgens for a little while,” Lex suspected Hannah already knew what happened. ‘Webby’ told her a lot of things, mostly things Lex didn’t want her to know. “Ethan and I got into a little fight, but we’re okay. Everything’s fine.” The last part was mostly to reassure herself because god knew Lex didn’t believe that.

Hannah nodded and hugged her a little tighter which she appreciated.

She decided that even if Ethan hated her and wanted nothing to do with her anymore, she always had Hannah, which was more than enough for her.

~

After Lex left, Ethan stared at the door for a while, hoping that she’d turn around and change her

mind, but she didn’t, which left him alone. His least favorite feeling.

He cared about her more than anything he’d ever cared for before. He wanted to spend every possible moment that he could with her and now she

was gone. And it was his fault.

He didn’t leave his room for a little over a week until his uncle basically forced him out to get groceries. He was the only one in the bunker who could drive or rather chose to drive. 

He sulked the entire way to the store, choosing only to listen to sad music. His mask had flowers on it, which was fairly ironic compared to his mood. When he pulled up he noticed that everyone else in Hatchetfield had the same idea, because there were basically no available parking spots besides one deep into the back of the Shop-and-Save.

When Ethan finally got into the store he wiped the shopping basket down and shoved his other hand in his pocket. The trip was quick, especially considering half of the stuff on the list was gone. 

At the register, he pulled out the 20 Hidgens gave him and handed it to the cashier. As she entered the amount and slid the change under the plastic divider, a shrill scream started. He recognized it. It came from the only little kid he actually cared about. He took the change and his bags, thanked the cashier, and then sprinted out the automatic doors. 

Just beside the door was Hannah screaming, with Lex at her side trying to calm her down. When Ethan first asked if Hannah was okay, Lex didn’t look up before responding, “Yeah, she’s fine. Thanks for your concern,” He crouched down across from her and asked again. When she looked at him he could tell her eyes widened a little, “Uh, yeah. Well, no. What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Getting groceries. What happened?”

“We went in and I think she just got a little overwhelmed, right, Banana?” Hannah nodded stiffly, the screaming quieted after a little while and just turned into sobs. Cries that shook her whole body against the brick of the shop.

She let Ethan’s hand separate her back from the hard brick, “Do you guys want me to drive you home?”

Hannah shook her head, “No home. Bad night.” 

Lex and Ethan looked at each other for a moment seeing if either of them knew what she meant. Lex took one of Hannah’s hands in her own, “Hannah, we don’t really have anywhere else to go. Do you wanna stay here for a little bit before we go back?”

Hannah shook her head and he offered, “You guys can come back to the bunker if you wanted.” He could see Lex glaring at him as Hannah nodded eagerly, “Only if that’s okay with the both of you, though.”

She swallowed, Hannah had already given her the bid eyes, which were hard to refuse, but she knew she could probably find a way to let him down in a way that also was good for Hannah. “Wouldn’t Hidgens be mad? You know with the whole outsider with outside germs shit.” 

He knew that she was trying to get out of it, but he really didn’t want her to. If he was being honest with himself, he missed her way too much. “Nah. As long as you guys change or some shit, it should be fine,”

“We don’t have our clothes there, Ethan. What the fuck are we gonna change into?”

“I have clothes. Plus I think some of Hannah’s are still there.”

Hannah squeezed her hand as a silent plea so she caved, sighing as she did so. “Fine, as long as you’re sure your uncle won’t get pissed.”

Ethan couldn’t help but smile as he led the two sisters to his car. He was tired of being alone, well, alone by choice. He knew that if he talked to Oliver or Hidgens they’d ask about Lex and then he’d break. He hated being that vulnerable, especially around the people he was close to. If a stranger on the street saw him crying in his car, so what? But if he started sobbing over his closest friend to his uncle that would have a lasting impact.

The car ride was almost silent. It was filled with Hannah’s soft sniffles over soft rock playing on the radio. He noticed Hannah grin when they pulled into view of the houses and he couldn’t help but do the same. He gave them both some of the hand sanitizer that Henry forced him to put in his car. Though when he put his on he winced at the feeling of it when it moved to the back of his hand. The brick really scratched it up at the shop. Lex looked over at him worriedly and he just shrugged at her.

When they got into the house Ethan was sure it was the most uncomfortable he’d ever been. Hannah had already run into her room to change her clothes which left Lex and Ethan in his room. He just wanted it to be like old times where he could poke fun at her for being in his clothes, but she wouldn’t budge. She was just looking at the little trinkets that he had littered around his room. She was currently flipping around with a Rubix cube that he never learned how to solve. “So, when are you planning to leave?”

She turned to look at him but he didn’t meet her eyes, “Here?” He nodded, “Well, whenever Hannah’s ready I guess.” The only thing running through both of their minds was how much the other hated them. So, Lex has to start with the hardest thing for her to say, “I’m, um, sorry for what happened last week. I was a total dick and I totally overreacted. Plus, just with all that’s going on, I was probably just a little out of it. Then with the added pressure of my mom and whatever this relationship is and then Hannah, I think I cracked a little.”

He just looked up at her for a little, which was the first time he’d done that since he got there. “Don’t fucking apologize. It was my fault. I was the one who said the dick-ish thing and then fuckin’ ruined everything. So  _ I’m _ sorry for being an asshat.”

She rolled her eyes but he could see the hint of a smile on her lips, “You didn’t ruin shit, but we’re good now, right?” Ethan nodded with a smile on his lips and they returned to their slightly more comfortable, but still pretty uncomfortable silence. Lex sighed and sat down in the swivel chair that she missed way too much, “Why the fuck does it still feel weird? We both apologized, shouldn't that be it?” He just shrugged. His leg was tapping against the hardwood floor and she noticed, “What’s up with you?” Ethan waved her off but she continued to press, “C’mon E. Just ‘cause we got in a little fight doesn’t mean we can’t talk about shit anymore.”

He wanted to tell her what he was thinking. He wanted to kiss her until he couldn’t feel his lips anymore, he wanted to make sure she never cried again, and watch her become the best fucking actress hed ever seen. But he couldn’t. “No, I’m fine. Just haven’t gotten too much sleep these days.”

She knew he was lying, she could tell by the way his eyes shuffled between hers and the ground. “Well, uh. Do you want Hannah and I to get out of your hair, then?”

He shook his head quickly, “No, you guys are fine. I’ve just been a little out of it this week.” 

Lex nodded in understanding. “Hannah really got your hand good, huh?” She noticed the scratches on the back of his hand were now a more vibrant red than before. 

Ethan inspected it himself and shrugged, “Better my hand than her back.” There was another awkward silence after she chuckled, so he decided to break it. He closed his eyes tightly before he said, “I missed you.” She looked up, seemingly startled so he continued, “Like, too much. I missed every little thing about you from your stupid bed head from the way you laugh at those shitty 80s movies.”

Lex’s cheeks were flushed, “I, uh, missed you too.” Then she smiled which sent a wave of relief over his body, “Also, those 80s movies aren’t shitty, at least they’re better than those dumbass greaser movies.”

He changed out the fearful look on his face for a playful smile, “Oh, you really wanna get into this again?”

“Oh, I really do.” The grin on her face could only be described as shit-eating as she sat down on the bed next to him.

Soon enough, Hannah came in and jumped on top of the two and they all watched Finding Nemo (Hannah’s 2nd favorite) until they fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey there! thanks for reading! this is my first time writing proper angsty type stuff,,, so hopefully for everyone’s sake i get better ahsjsj.  
> Talk to me: my tumblr is a-very-starkid-musical and i’d love to become friends with literally every single one of you !


	4. The Seenable Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey there!! i hope y’all like this chapter! it’s a shorter one, but there’s a lot in her!

Lex woke up feeling better than she had at all that week. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever slept that comfortably despite the weight on top of her from Hannah’s body and Ethan’s arms wrapped securely around her waist. 

She flicked at his fingers so he’d let go and he did so with a soft groan. Although Hannah's entire body weight on her side was restricting her more, she knew Hannah had a hard time sleeping in the trailer, so she didn’t make any effort to wake her. She nudged Ethan gently with her elbow and he responded with another groan. “Can you grab my phone?” 

He hummed into her shoulder as he reached behind himself and slapped the table until he gripped her phone. Lex unlocked it and was immediately greeted with 27 missed calls from her mom and 2 from Deb, the latter was more concerning to her. She sat up a little more against the headboard, leaving Ethan’s head at her stomach as she scrolled through her texts. 

_ lil debbie @ 10:27 pm: hey r u with ethan. alice called him like 5 times and it went to voicemail. she’s like super worried. _

_ @ 11:14 pm: ??? _

_ @ 11:26 pm: im gonna assume youre passed out so just text me when u wake up. _

She immediately woke up more, texting back faster than she knew she could.

_ little lexie @ 7:36 am: holy shit i’m so sorry we fell asleep super early but I'm with him. why was she worried ?? _

_ lil debbie @7:38 am: idk apparently he’s just been a little outta it recently. thanks tho. _

Lex frowned as she looked down at him, combing through his mess of curls with her fingers. She wasn't that close to Deb, she only really knew her because of how close he was to Alice. The more she thought about it, her only actual friend was Ethan. So why didn’t he tell her if something was wrong? She wasn’t mad, it was just the fact that he’s told her so much, so why stop now? Maybe they just weren’t as close as she thought, which was kind of ironic considering the proximity they were at.

Even when Ethan was awake, he still felt completely serene. Well until Lex yanked his head up and told him to call Alice. To say he was confused about the gesture would be an understatement. When he turned over the clock it said 8:15, which was an odd time for Lex to demand that he call his friend, but he did anyway. She picked up almost immediately which was very common for Alice. “Hey, Allie. You alright?”

She shuffled around which made him assume she was still in bed, “I’m fine. God, I was just worried sick about you last night-“

The last time they had talked was two nights ago, and he sounded… not good to say the least. “I know, I’m sorry. My phone died and then we fell asleep at like 9.”

“ _ Ooh. _ So things went well?” She asked this in a playful manner but he could hear the laugh break through her act.

He was sure that she could hear his blush though the phone as he responded, “Oh, fuck off. I still haven’t told her or anything yet.”

“When you’re ready, you should really tell her. It’s been what, 2, 3, years that you’ve been pining after?” It was four, but he knew it’d be worse for him if he admitted that. “That’s gotta make some sort of tension with you.”

“Yeah, I know. I just don’t want her to leave again. Plus, if I mess up bad enough she might not come back this time.” He sounded more pathetic than he would’ve liked, but it was Alice so he didn’t care too much.

“I get that, Eth’, but there’s just not a good time for stuff like this. You’ve just gotta do it and hope for the best, right? Shoot, I gotta let you go because my moms calling me down, but text me, please.”

“Yeah, thanks, Allie. See ya’ later.” She hung up and he shoved the phone back in his pocket, opening back up the bedroom door to find Hannah still attached at Lex’s side, while she leaned her head back into the headboard. She barely even looked up to acknowledge him, her eyes still glued to her phone. 

She was scrolling through the abundance of text messages from her mom, mostly misspelled which hinted that she was drunk. Though one of the ones from later in the night caught her eye. It read:  _ if yu arenr backl by tomorow mourningh dony bother coming back you ungreatfulk skank. _

Lex just stared at it for a moment. On one hand, she would jump at the opportunity to not have to go back, but on the other hand, her stash and any extra money or clothes that she had were there. Though her train of thought was speeding through her head, she felt a little calmer when Ethan’s side of the bed dipped and slipped back into her side again. 

They stayed like that until Hannah stirred awake, which Lex was grateful for. She could feel her arm falling asleep under Hannah’s back.

She wasn’t a very talkative 11-year-old, but even more so in the mornings. Usually, the most she managed was a hum to confirm or deny a question.

They all just laid, huddled together for a moment until Ethan said that he was pretty sure his uncle was making pancakes, which made Hannah look up eagerly at her sister for permission before she ran out of the room to help.

“So,” He hopped back into the bed beside Lex, “What’re we gonna do today?”

“Well, Hannah and I gotta go soon.” She felt guilty as she watched Ethan’s face drop from its previous smile.

“No, you don’t. Why?” His frown was clear on his face, and it made her smile a little, because of the resemblance he held to a kicked puppy.

“My mom texted. Said if we aren’t back, she’s gonna throw us on our asses.” 

“So? You can stay here.” He took a hold of one of her hands and she smiled at the gesture.

“Hon, as much as I’d like to, we’ve got nothing here. All my shit is over there. Plus, if she finds the Cali-Fund she’ll flip her shit.” The Cali-fund-ia (named by Ethan) was securely in a small jar under Hannah and her shared bed. She took it back with her when she left the bunker, so she could keep contributing to it even without him.

There was a silence as he thought, “What if we went and got it? I can drive you back, you’ll get your shit, and then you move in here, like prominently.”

Lex gave a light chuckle at his enthusiasm, “She’ll beat my ass if she sees me trying to take my shit back.”

“She doesn’t have to see. We can go when she’s gone.”

She tried to find a flaw with the plan but was trumped by how nice it'd be to finally be out of there. “I can’t do that to your uncle.”

“Sure you can! As a matter of fact, I’ll go ask him right now.” Ethan slipped out of her grasp and made his way to the kitchen where he tapped the counter behind where they were making the batter. “Uncle Hen, can I ask you a quick one?” Hidgens wiped his hands on a paper towel and handed the spoon to Hannah, who carefully stirred it as she was instructed. Ethan clasped his shoulder, “Alright, pal. Now, how would you feel if Lex and Banana stayed here for the like, seenable future?”

Hidgens scoffed, “Why, as long as they take the proper safety precautions as we have been, they are both more than welcome!”

“Perfect! Thanks, Hen.” Ethan proudly made his way back to their room and swung the door open to find Lex already glaring at him, “C’mon babe. Let’s go get your shit!”

She broke out into a small smile as she stood up and slipped her shoes on, ”I hate you so much.”

”Yeah, I know.” He broke out into a goofy grin as he slipped his hand in hers and dragged her out their bedroom door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoo-hoo! you made it! i really hope you liked this one, it was kind of boring, but i have a few ideas for the next one.  
> if y’all would like to request a one shot or something, i’ll always take requests (anon or not) on tumblr (a-very-starkid-musical) or in the comments on here!  
> i love you and i hope you have a good day!


	5. she’s so gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lex gets the fuck outta the trailer and then gets high.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so this chapter was longer than i expected. i just kinda wrote and then didn’t stop and now she’s here! i hope you like reading it, please let me know if i made any mistakes! i’m v sorry this was late, i previously wrote a different part, but i decided that it was really dumb.  
> also there’s like a slightly sexual part but it doesn’t go past kissing. also as mentioned in the summary she smokes but again it’s nothing graphic or too descriptive.

The car ride was surprisingly loud, especially since Lex was  _ supposedly _ mad at Ethan.”Should we pick up ski-masks or some shit?”

She looked at him like he was an idiot, but her smile was still ever present on her face, “Why? I’m not gonna rob the place. Just simply taking back what’s mine.”

“I feel like that’s something a robber would say, but alright. Isn’t it still like entering and breaking though?”

“Breaking and entering, E and probably not, right? I mean technically I still live there.” He just shrugged and she squealed which was something he was sure he had never heard her do. “Holy shit! We’re actually fucking getting outta that hellhole!”

He patted her thigh with his hand, “Fuck yeah, you are! You might just wanna chill for a minute, just so we can make an actual plan.”

Her hand piled on top of his and he grinned as she hooked their pinkies together, “Yeah, alright. There’s not much to it, though. I’m just grabbing our shit and leaving.”

“Well yeah, but shouldn’t we like, make a plan B? Isn’t that what they do in the movies?”

“Babe,” Ethan’s heart fluttered a little. It was the first time she’d called him that since she left, and he didn’t expect to miss the word so much. “It’s really not gonna be that complicated. It’s not like a fucking heist or something.”

“Can we at least get code names? I feel like that’s appropriate. Or like a signal for if we get caught? Maybe an eagle caw or something. That sounds kinda badass.” Lex just rolled her eyes, but he took that as a yes. 

They pulled into the trailer park and it somehow looked worse than he remembered. It had only been a few months since he last went, but something about it felt eerie. Maybe it was the fact that it seemed empty as to the alternative of people at their grills watching some football game. Whatever it was it sent shivers down his spine. 

She took a deep breath, smelling the tobacco and weed from her open window, “Home sweet home.”

As Lex opened her door, Ethan grabbed her shoulder and with the most serious look he could manage said, “Fly high, Eagle.” Sending her off with a two-fingered salute which she laughed at before mimicking the action back.

While she ran around frantically through the house, he just hopped on the hood of his car and enjoyed a cigarette. Things weren’t weird anymore which was all that he wanted. Actually he wanted her to like him the same way he did her, but for now them being in the same space without glaring at each other was enough for him. Plus, it seemed like Lex kind of forgot about the whole argument. She seemed happy when she woke up and she also let him cling onto her far longer than she normally did. She’d often say that she turned him soft, which he didn’t like to admit. He was soft, but only for the Foster sisters, he was sweeter to Hannah than he was with Oliver when he used to watch him. That was partially because of the fact that he knew Lex would beat his ass if Hannah ever got hurt, while Oliver’s parents didn’t give two shits about the poor kid. It took barely 2 minutes of convincing to get the leash and it was mostly a joke until his uncle threw 30 bucks at him. 

Not to mention the fact that he was closer to Lex than literally anyone in his life. Which was surprising. His parents weren’t awful people, he loved them, it was just whether or not they actually understood half the stuff he said. Which they didn’t. Lex did, even if she was a dick about it, it was still somehow charming. Even when she was a dick about something, she usually made up for it. For instance, if it was something he was actually interested in and she made a joke that made him feel bad for talking about it, she’d always bring it up later, even if she couldn’t care less what it was. He loved that, among other things, about her. 

As if on queue, he could hear a door swing open and he heard something that sounded like a caw as Lex sprinted out. 

She had two trash bags full of shit and someone who looks kind of like her, but every feature Ethan loved was warped. “Alexandra, get your fat ass back here!”

But, Lex just screamed at him to drive, so he unlocked the door and started the car as she jumped in frantically. Once her seatbelt was buckled he pulled quickly out of the parkway and back onto the road. It looked like her mom tried to chase after them, but with a limp that he’d rather not know the origin of. 

After a minute of driving he pulled into a fast food restaurant and parked, turning in his seat to face Lex. she’d been silent, which very much wasn’t like her at all. “You alright, Lexie? What happened?” 

She shook her head in her hands, “God, I thought she was sleeping and surprise, surprise! She wasn’t,” She slammed her hands on the dashboard which made the both of them jump. “Fuck. Sorry. I just fucking hate her. Shit, alright. Can you just take me to that fucking… that park?”

“Lancet?” That was the park she always went to when she wanted to punch a tree, or get high, or both.

“Perfect.”

He saw her smile lightly and essentially spun out of the parking lot and down the road to the park. Lancet park was probably the shittiest park in Michigan, so it wasn’t a surprise when the lot was empty. It was muddy and gross, no sane parent would let their kids play there. It was perfect for Lex who felt just as shitty as the park looked. “So, uh, when are you gonna come back?”

“Come back? Oh, I’m wasn't just gonna leave you here. I can just stay in the car.”

She smiled a little at his grammatical mistake, “I’m not gonna make you sit here while I go get plastered.” He furrowed an eyebrow and she pulled out a baggie of pre-rolled joints from her pocket, “Stole it from the trailer.”

“You really think I’m gonna leave you in a shitty park when you’re high outta your mind? What kind of guy do you think I am?” Ethan knew he’d leave if Lex really wanted him to, but he also preferably didn’t want her to spend the night under a tree with a blunt in her hand alone.

Lex seemed to mull it over, “Fine. C’mon.” She started to walk away and he stalled for a minute until she waved him on and he put the car in park before running after her.

“I don’t have to come with you. I can go back if you want.” He was worried that he pressured her and it definitely showed in his voice.

She waved him off, “Nah, it’s fine. I was just being stubborn, I don't really wanna be alone right now anyways.” 

“Are ya sure? I really don’t care. Well, I do care but-“

“Just shut up and sit down.” He obeyed and sat down about 4 feet away from her. He wanted to give her as much space as possible just in case she changed her mind.

It was silent for a moment as he passed her his lighter and she lit the blunt, offering one to him but he refused. Ethan was actually staring at a squirrel and a bird seemingly getting into an argument, but when she started talking he honed in immediately. 

“It just all feels kinda fast, you know?” Lex inhaled and then exhaled deeply, the smoke blowing out of the side of her mouth, “Like, just last week I was in there with Hannah because of some stupid fight we had and now we’re back to living in a fucking bunker while the world ends around us. I’m finally outta that fucking house for good now and for some reason, it just doesn’t feel right.” She ran a hand through her hair as she took another hit.

He stayed quiet for a moment, just in case she had something to add. “Can I try and help or would you rather me fuck off.” 

She gave a small chuckle, “Be my guest.”

“Maybe it’ll just take time. I mean this was just me, but i fucking hated my house. I love my parents and all that shit, but when I was at home, I just felt fucking lonely. Even when I started staying with Hidgens and you, I still felt weird ‘bout it, just because it was starting to feel kinda ‘homey’ and I ‘acostiated’ that with loneliness and shit.” He checked to make sure she was actually listening and what came out of his mouth wasn’t total unhelpful bullshit, “But, now I kinda made it like a real home where I think about you and Hannah watching some stupid cheap movie with me. Or that one time I tried to bake those cupcakes and set the towel on fire. 

I totally get that this is fast and probably not the 'goodest sitch’ to do it in, but maybe if you just chill with it for a while it’ll start to feel better? I don’t know. Sorry that was probably shitty.” Ethan’s fingers drummed on the root peeking out from beneath the dirt.

Lex looked up at him and her eyes sort of glistened, which he thought was a special effect in the movies, “Thanks. That was actually kinda helpful.” he let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding and she offered him the blunt again, but he waved it off. He didn’t know how long they were gonna be out there and he didn’t want to risk a crash on the drive back. “You’ve got anything to get off your chest? It’s a free-for-all.”

Ethan’s eyes widened and Alice's words repeated in his head.  _ You’ve just gotta do it and hope for the best. You’ve just gotta do it and hope for the best. _ “Actually, kind of...” He definitely did not want to fuck this up, because she already had enough going on, she didn’t need him being a dick to add onto the pile. She perked up in interest and he immediately regretted saying anything. “Ah, nevermind.”

Lex moved closer and bumped his shoulder, “Come on~. You can’t just fuckin’ tease me like that, that’s not allowed.” He shrugged and stared down at his thumbs until he felt the weight of Lex’s head on his shoulder, “Please? I’m not gonna, like, spread it. You’re the only fucking friend I got, anyways.” 

“That’s not true! You’ve got, like, Danny.” He fucking hated Danny, but he’d make small talk when Lex went to his car to get the weed. The only other time they’d talk was when Ethan would threaten him for some gross comment he made.

“Danny’s just a kid I deal to, not my friend.” She put the blunt out in the dirt and it made a noise that somehow sounded satisfactory.

“What about Deb? Isn’t Mr. Houston, kinda your friend too?” 

“Debs a friend by association. Also, I feel weird calling Houston my friend. That just sounds wrong.” She leaned into him more, putting the entirety of her body weight on his side, “Did I tell you that he emailed me when I didn’t go to classes last week? He told the teachers my computer broke, what a fuckin’ life saver.”

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, “Yeah, he’s pretty cool.” 

She hummed in agreeance and left a light kiss on the spot under his jaw, “What’d you wanna say earlier, though?”

He let out a chuckle, “I promise it’s not a big thing, plus it’d probably just make you mad anyways.” Lex groaned into his shoulder and he combed through her hair.

She contemplated calling him out for assuming, but then again he probably knew her better than she did herself, “ _ Fine _ , I get it.” The texts she shared with Deb came into mind, “Have you been, like, good recently?”

Ethan stopped his actions and looked down at her quizzically, “Yeah. Why?” He wasn’t too good mentally, but he wasn’t about to admit that. Especially right now.

She sat up further against the tree and shrugged, “I don’t know. Deb texted me and it got me kinda worried.” At his refusal she felt some sort of guilt. They were not the type of friends to share their emotions on the regular, but she expected some sort of vulnerability. 

He visibly winced,  _ fuckin’ Deb. _ He liked Deb, she seemed sweet, but shit- maybe she wasn’t as reserved as he thought, “Ah, she probably heard it from Allie. I’m fine, just been a little out of it recently. Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong.” There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment, “If you don’t mind me asking, why?”

It took a moment for him to get what she meant, “Oh, well, shit kinda sucks right now for like everyone. Just gettin’ me down a little. Nothin’ too big.”  _ Except for the fact that I’m in fucking love with you. _ Oh, how he wished he had the guts to say that. The guts to say it no matter the look on her face and be content with any answer she gave him.

Lex knew there was much more than he was giving off, he was shitty at hiding things. Whether it be emotions or something he got her, he could never hide it for too long. “Well, if you ever need anything, I literally have no where else to go.”

Ethan smiled and pulled her into another side-hug and she rolled her eyes, “I think that’s probably the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.” She just groaned again, her cheek shoved into his chest.

5 hours and 4 blunts later, Ethan was dead asleep. Lex contemplated waking him up, but he looked adorable so she decided against it. His cheeks were slightly flushed and she could hear him snore softly, most likely a result of his position. He was using her thighs as a pillow while her fingers made light trails through his hair. If she could only choose 1 physical thing she liked about Ethan, it would either be his hair or his arms, depending on how much product he shoved in the former. When there wasn’t hairspray in his hair (a rarity), it was soft. She loved to weave her fingers through the minuscule curls that almost formed a full circle around his finger.

He yawned and stirred, groaning as he sat back up against the tree, “Shit, what time is it?” 

“Probably 4-ish, maybe 5.” 

“Jesus, we should probably head back then, right?”

“Yeah, probably.” Though, she definitely did not look like she wanted to go back.

He sighed,“We can stay for another 15, alright? I don’t want Hidgens cutting off my head for his lab or some shit.” 

Lex nodded in understanding before pressing her thumbs together and looking up at him, “I really appreciate everything you’re doing for us, E. It’s really a lot of shit, too much in fact.”

“Oh, c’mon. haven’t done too much. I’m just the transportation.”

“Well even if you think you have, you’ve done a ton of shit for me especially. Just in the past 24 hours you’ve done more than I can ever repay.”

“Good, because I don’t want you to pay for shit.” He wasn’t looking at her at that moment but if he was he’d see her glaring daggers into him.

“That’s not what I meant. Don’t fucking hijack my thank you.” She continued glaring, pressing a finger into his chest.

“I’m not!” He raised his hands up in defense before kissing her cheek which she seemed to soften up at, “I’d do it again.” 

He peppered small kisses around her face before capturing her lips for a slow, sweet kiss which she laughed into. Once they parted she held onto the arm which was extended to hold her cheek and said, “That was cheesy.” She was still the slightest bit high, but she didn’t smoke while Ethan was asleep so it was about an hour and a half of sobering up.

“Yeah, well that was kinda the point.” Lex laughed and kissed him again, this one reflected on how they’d be normally. She immediately climbed on top of him while they kissed, straddling his lap and basically pushing him against the tree. When the kiss broke, she started pulling at his shirt and he gripped her wrists, “Are you sure you wanna do this?”

Her eyes traveled up and down his body, “I am if you are. You are, right?”

“Fuck yeah I am.” He smiled weakly at her before starting the ramble he did every time, “Just, if you wanna stop at any part-“ 

“Yeah, babe, I know. Can we just do this now?” He nodded eagerly and her hands slid under his baseball shirt.

——

They got back to the bunker at around 8:15, Ethan held both the trash bags in his arms, despite Lex’s protests. “Just give me one of ‘em! They’re literally my bags.” He just shook his head, “You’ve actually gotta put one down.”

“Oh? And why’s that?”

“Because your collar’s down and your uncle will flip his shit.”

She looked at him smugly as she snatched the keys from his pocket, swinging open the door and leaving him to quickly throw her one of the bags before adjusting his collar, “You’re fucking cruel.” 

“You love it.”  _ God, if she only knew _ , but he just smiled and walked behind her. 

Lex was greeted by Hannah running up to her for a hug while Ethan wasn’t treated as kindly, “Where the hell were you?” 

“Why hey there, Ollie! How’s your day been? Good? That’s great. But, we went to go pick up their shit.” He dropped the bag at the counter next to where the sisters made themselves situated.

Oliver followed him around like a ticked off puppy, Ethan found it hilarious. “And you didn’t think to tell anyone? I was worried sick. You were gone for the whole day! I was gonna call the cops!”

“It didn’t come up. I told Uncle H, though. Where are that old guy anyways.” He grabbed an apple from the bin and shined it before thinking better and running it under some hot water.

“Is, Ethan. It’s addressing a singular noun so it’s ‘is’. But he’s been stuck in the lab. Something important, I guess. He won’t even tell me.” Hidgens always told Oliver about anything before he told Ethan, which made sense. It hurt him at first, but then he gradually learned to not give a shit as long as he found out about whatever it was. 

Ethan gasped over dramatically and took a bite of the apple, “Won't even tell the Golden Child? Gee Wilikers! It must be real serious.” Oliver just rolled his eyes at the nickname.

“It’s not my problem that he trusts me more, maybe if you weren’t such a jerk all the time...” He mumbled, trailing off at the end of his sentence.

Ethan chuckled but it sounded more like a howl, “What's gonna happen, big guy? God, kid, you’ve really got me shakin’ in my boots for this one! Please don’t hurt me! I have a family, please god, show some mercy!” He overdramatically pleaded, before taking a swift bite of the apple. A shit-eating grin written on his face.

After a moment of Oliver babbling around, Lex walked over, leaning her chin on Ethan's shoulder. Oliver gave Ethan a smug smile, knowing that she’d kill him if he said anything,“Hey, Ollie. Sorry I left you with Banana for so long. We were way later than we expected, plus I thought your uncle was here. Anyways, here ya go.” She dug through her pocket and handed him 15 dollars.

Both Ethan and Oliver’s eyes widened, “Oh, Lex. I can’t take your money. It really was no problem.”

“C’mon! It’s way less than I should be giving you anyways. I know you’ve been saving up for that action doll, so maybe this’ll help.” She shoved her hand closer to him.

Oliver looked at Lex and then Ethan, who was still looking at her with furrowed eyebrows. He quickly took the money from her, “Thank you so much.” Was something he said many times as he ran back into his room to put it in his savings jar. 

Ethan finally blinked and looked between the spot Oliver was in and Lex, “What the fuck just happened?” 

“I gave the kid 15 bucks, chill out.” She took her head off of his shoulders and walked down the hall.

“Where’d you get that from?” He trailer behind as she walked to their room.

“E, I might be broke, but I’m not  _ that _ broke. Plus I stole a shit ton of cash from the trailer. Probably 2 or 3 hundred.” She laughed at how wide his eyes went.

“Jesus christ. That’s a shit ton of money. You could, like, get your own apartment with that.” He shut the door behind them with his hip because the apple occupied his hands.

Lex basically passed out onto the bed when she saw it. It had been a very long day and she was too tired to stand anymore. Her cheek was shoved in between her hand and the pillow, propping her head up, but only slightly, “I know how bad you want me outta here, and I’d hate to break it to you, but 200 could get me like one night tops. I’m gonna try to pay your uncle back.” 

He sat with his back to where she had landed, “He’s not gonna take it, I’m telling ya’.” 

Lex shrugged, “I can be very persuasive when I want to be.” Ethan scoffed and she shoved him as hard as she could while half asleep. “I’m serious! Just look at Ollie, it took like 3 sentences.”

“That’s just ‘cause he’s in love with you or some shit.” He tossed his shoes somewhere near the bed and made himself comfortable over the covers.

She inched closer to him until her body was essentially diagonal on the bed, her head resting on his chest, “Why’re you such an asshole to the poor kid? You know, if you ever talked to Hannah like that I’d beat your ass into next year.”

“I don’t know why you’re so sweet to him. He’s just a little asshole hiding under a button-up.” He scowled as he tossed the apple core into a trash can, “I don’t think you’ve ever once been nice to me like that.” Lex couldn’t help but laugh, rolling off of his chest and resting her chin in her hand. He noticed her looking at him funny and smiled, “What? What’d I do?”

“I really can’t believe your jealous of your fucking 15 year-old cousin.” Her grin was teasing and she poked at his arm with every word.

Ethan smacked her hand away from his arm. His smile faltered, but was still there, “Oh, fuck you! I am not. I’m just saying that you’re too nice to him is all.”

“Oh yeah. Sure~” Lex drew the last word out in a singsong voice, suddenly feeling much more energized, “Oh Lex,” She did her best impression of his voice while basically throwing herself on top of him, “You’re never nice to me!”

He rolled his eyes, holding onto her side so that she wouldn’t fall off the bed, “I don’t sound like that. Can you just drop this? I’m tired.”

“A-ha! So you admit it.” She gripped his face in her hands while she grinned.

Her smile was contagious apparently as Ethan soon broke out into one, “Fuck it. Sure. Can we please fucking sleep now?”

Lex shook her head and he groaned as she pressed a kiss to his jaw before moving off of him, “You and your jealous rage have given me a second wind. Plus, we need to figure out where we’re gonna put stuff.” He let out another groan and she patted his leg, “Quit whining and move your ass.”

Ethan did so, excited that she seemed happy. He didn’t want her regretting her decision less than a week after she made it. He was happy to be spending as much time with her as possible and he really hoped she felt the same way. There were a million thoughts racing through his mind as he looked up at her, the most prominent of which were  _ God, she’s so fucking beautiful. _ and  _ Do I have to share my drawers? Because she wears half my shit anyways.  _ He sat behind her, handing her stuff from the bag as she tried to figure out where to put them. 

When she saw him smiling at her, she turned around for a moment, “What?” 

He took one of her hands, squeezing it gently, “I’m just really happy you’re here.” He used Lex’s hand to pull her closer and she laughed.

“You’re stupid,” She said before he fully pulled her into him, them both falling back into the bed laughing. “This whole clothes thing is gonna take a while, huh?” Ethan just hummed in confirmation, pulling her in for a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y’all liked reading! as always talk to me, send me requests, i have nothing better to do!  
> this was stupid and long. i think that after this chapter it might start being more one-shotty, or i could continue with a plot, what do y’all think?


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex can’t sleep so she decides to bug Ethan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOD YALL ITS BEEN SO LONG  
> okay so this chapter is shorter than usual and also not as good, so my deepest apologies.  
> i recently had a big health scare so i haven’t had the time to write but i’m back babey!

For some reason, Lex just couldn’t sleep. She was tired as hell but her mind kept whirring. 

She glanced down at her phone to find that it was 2 am. It didn’t matter too much because the only thing she needed to do for the day was tap on a computer screen for 6 hours, but it was just frustrating. Ethan was asleep beside her, his soft snores being the only other noise besides the crickets outside their window.

Part of her wanted to wake him up, indulge him in one of their weird late-night talks. The other part of her, as creepy as it sounds, wanted to watch him sleep. He seemed so relaxed, and while he wasn't stretched as thin as she was, it still wasn't common to see total serenity on his features.

Sneaking out of bed wasn’t a new thing for Lex. When she was in the trailer, most nights were spent lulling Hannah to sleep before going to smoke or drink outside. Then again, Hannah was a much heavier sleeper. At the first creek in the bed, she watched him stir, turning over on the bed. By the second creek, he groaned softly, though she wasn’t sure if that was in or out of consciousness. She got too nervous after the second noise so she laid back down, staying perfectly still. All she wanted was a cigarette, why'd it have to be so difficult. Sometimes they’d help her sleep, and sometimes they did the opposite, but no matter the chance, she just wanted to get out of the room. Maybe if he woke up she could just say she was checking in on Hannah, which she’d already done twice that night. 

Lex leaned into Ethan, but only slightly. The excuse that she told herself was that she was wearing shorts in Michigan and he was warm. It reminded her how some girls used to lie to get his coat on their shoulders, they held the coat at some sort of pedestal when it really is just a hot piece of fabric that smells like cigarettes. The jacket was definitely not Lex’s favorite of Ethan’s clothing. He’d wear it even in summer, she could literally see it melt into his skin under the sun. In her opinion, the grey jumpsuit that his dad made him wear while he worked was really the most flattering of his clothes. Despite Lex’s constant teasing about the jumpsuit, she couldn’t argue that he looked pretty good in it. He looked like one of those hot mechanics that would twirl a wrench on TV.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Ethan’s arm pulling her closer. As much as she hated admitting it, he made her feel sort of safe. Sure, the whole tough guy act helped, but when he held her like that it made her feel secure. It was stupid. They were literally underground with a gate surrounding them, there was really nothing that she had to be safe from. Yet, here she was, with that stupid fuzzy feeling in her stomach, right around where his stupid muscley arm was holding her. Sometimes, either when Lex was really high or really tired, she wondered where he got so strong. She had never heard him talk about going to the gym, nor seen him in any proximity with it. He didn’t have any workout equipment in his room, the only thing she could think of was the car shop, but you already had to  _ be _ buff to work in a garage. God, was she really that bored that she was thinking about his arms, how pathetic.

On the trail of the good things in her life, the path quickly continued on to Hannah, the most important thing in her life. Hannah was truly the best sister a girl could ask for. She was smart _ and  _ creative, what else could someone want? Sure, sometimes the things she said could be labeled as questionable but Lex was always sure there was no mal intent behind her sister’s “revelations”. Hannah was the main reason Lex wished she had money. If she had money, she could buy her own apartment so that Hannah could get her own room and decorate it however she liked, she'd also get her art supplies, not the ones at their local dollar tree, but good art supplies to show off what she could do. Sometimes if Hannah had a nightmare, Lex would talk about what their new home might be like and how Hannah can paint her room any color shed like (She wanted to paint it purple) and they could finally hang up her drawings. It comforted Lex just as much as it did her sister.

“Lex? Are you still up?’ Shit. It must’ve been that stupid fucking bed or something because she was sure she kept her mouth shut.

She considered just ignoring him and letting him fall back asleep but then she realized how much time she spent alone and answered for her own selfish reasons, “Yeah, I’m up. You okay?”

She felt him stretch his arms out with a yawn, “I’m fine, yeah,” After he was done stretching, his arm traveled to the behind her neck as he asked, “Time?”

“2:23.”

Ethan gave her a soft chuckle, which combined with his gravely morning voice was quite possibly the hottest thing she'd ever heard, “Shit, Lexie. Why’re you up so late?” He held her tighter and that warm feeling in her stomach got more severe. 

Lex just shrugged in response, “I don't know, man. Just couldn’t fall asleep, I guess.”

“Well, I’m sorry ‘bout that, but you should really get some sleep, babe.” He kissed the top of her head,

She groaned and sat up more so that she could actually face him instead of just looking at his chest, “You think I haven’t taken that into consideration? I know I need to sleep, that’s why I’m complaining’.” She felt his hand move to her thigh as he laughed, which felt comforting. Her fingers traced slowly along his forearm, drawing swirly lines connecting his bicep and his wrist. After a moment of silence she sighed, continuing to trace on his arm, “I’m bored. What can we do at 2am?”

“Sleep would probably be the best answer but if you want we can just talk for a while,” She hummed in agreement as she shifted closer to him, “What’re we gonna talk about?”

Her trail moved up from his shoulder to his jawline, which she used to kiss him softly. It was a lazy kiss, but it was sweet. Her fingers lingered on his jaw after they broke apart, her thumb caressing his cheek, “We can talk about anything. I just know if I stare at that fucking popcorn ceiling for any longer I’m gonna go crazy.” 

He had a stupid grin on his face just like he did every time they kissed, it was somehow adorable yet obnoxious at the same time, “Well, if thats any judge of it, I dont think we even have to talk.”

“Oh, fuck off.” Lex rolled her eyes at him. As much as she wanted to have sex in his uncle’s apocolypse bunker at 2am, she’d rather not. “Are we healthy?” She asked, moving to lean on his shoulder.

“Well, I eat fruit and stuff so I’d-”

“Not like that, more like relationship-wise. Should we be doing this?” Lex had never stayed with a guy for longer than a month, while their relationship was basically just sex and had been going for 7 months. 

Ethan ran a hand through his hair with an exaggerated exhale, “That's a deep question for right now. Jesus,” He took a moment to properly work his thoughts before continuing, “I guess so. I mean, I’m not a doctor, but if we’re happy and being safe, I don't see why that's not healthy.” 

She shrugged before slouching further into him, “Cool. Alright.” She was still skeptical, but she wasn't sure what she was skeptical of. 

“You’re happy right? Because it's in the rules that we can stop anytime.” The rules, he’s referring to, are formatted in an email after they decided they were attempting a no-strings relationship. There are 3 main rules; 

  1. Don’t tell anyone.
  2. No pressure or anything / No attachment.
  3. This contract can be terminated at any time.



The first rule had been broken by Ethan at least 3 times, yet he still hasn't told her. These rules are the foundation that their solely sexual relationship was built on. Though it was starting to be slightly more than solely sexual and Lex didn't know what to do about it. There were a few times that Oliver saw them kissing and a few times Ethan didn’t quite pop his collar up enough. He didn’t care because he knew that Oliver knew, while Lex was scared he'd think less of her. They were starting to mix their friendship and their relationship up too. There were a few times she almost addressed him as ‘babe’, but caught herself and shifted it to ‘bro’. 

At that point the only person she really cared about knowing was Hannah. It would just be so hard to explain to her and in the end it wouldn't make sense. She just really didn’t want to tell her 11 year-old sister about her friends with benefits relationship.

“I think we’re good, right?” She looked up at him and although she couldn’t see the details of his face, she was sure he looked good.

He once again, kissed the top of her head and said, “Yeah, we’re good.” He decided to leave out the part about actually dating, at least for now. He got to choose his battles with Lex, which he was very grateful for, so he’d save the harder one for an easier day. 

When would that easier day be? Ethan had absolutely no clue, he just really hoped it was soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoyed reading!   
> i think i might try and wrap this up soon just because i don’t really know what to write.  
> also! i’m technically not supposed to be doing any kinda physical activity, so if you have an idea or a prompt, send it over to my tumblr!! thanks, love y’all!


End file.
